Year End - 2010

Ahhh, it's time to wrap up another year. Semicolon is hosting a "Wrap-up" edition of the Saturday Review of Books so if you'd like to see what other people are thinking about their past year of reading, or planning for the next, hop on over on Saturday the 1st to Semicolon Blog.

As for me, I glanced through my list of titles read last year which I keep a running tab on over on the Master List. (If you ever want to know what I've read or how many books, I keep The Master List linked on my side bar.) This year I read 142 books, besting my 2009 reading self by 10 titles.

Only this year I think I'm less excited by any particular book I read than I was in 2009. (The year of The Great Mysterious Benedict Society Addiction!) I think too many review copies bogged me down and got in the way of my reading books that I honestly would find more beneficial. Not to say I didn't enjoy myself! I DID! Thoroughly. I read a great deal for fun and entertainment purposes and I achieved that goal. But when I look back, I see very few things that I find very memorable. Which is kinda sad in some ways (but not in others!).

If I had to list my most influential reads, I would have to point to Charles Swindoll's Great Lives Series where I learned the following things:

1. I am created for a purpose (David);
2. God will work that purpose in His time frame (Esther);
3. God will work in ways that may be painful, but He will teach me to live in the pain, through the pain and beyond it and can work in me a tender heart as a result of it (Joseph);
4. God honors faithful obedience (Moses);
5. God moves us into periods of quiet solitude where we can be alone with Him, in order to mature us (Elijah); and
6. It is not for me to compare my journey to the journey of others (Paul);
7. I should be careful how to discuss and discern the journey of others (Job); and
8. God has great lessons to teach each individual person, and frequently He'll use us to teach others (Forgotten Lives); and
9. I have a lot to learn (Jesus.)

(Names all linked to my reviews/thoughts.)

That was a particularly awesome and meaningful series for me to pick up on in 2010.

As for what I think the next reading year will look like - I do not think I will speculate on it much. I will say this:

1. In January I'll be hosting the Third Annual Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge. Click on the link to find out more about that!



This challenge starts next week so get ready!

2. In July I will be hosting the Third Annual Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge.




3. I am also committed to Reading My Library again, noting admirable and notable picture books that my children and I have discovered at our local library. You can click on the button below to find out more about that! I'd kinda dropped the ball on that challenge for morning sickness reasons and lack-of-time sake but I kinda missed exploring new titles with my boys. Personally, I've already found my prior library explorations useful when my sons became interested in various topics. I know of book titles now that they will find particularly enjoyable! So the challenge is paying off for my family and it gives us a reading project to do together! Anyway, if you want to find out more about the library picture book reading challenge, follow the links!



4. In conjunction with the Reading My Library Challenge, I will also be participating in Hope is in the Word's weekly Read Aloud Thursday meme in which we share what we've been reading with our kids. I prefer to participate in this meme over at Reading My Library, since that is where a huge stack of our reading materials come from. But from time to time you might see a Read Aloud Thursday post pop up around here.




5. I'm joining Amy at A Faithful Journey by committing to read at least ONE Jane Austen book during 2011. (Surely I can do that, right?) Amy is hosting a Jane Austen Challenge which begins January 1, 2011 and lasts the entire year! You'll have plenty of time to participate, should you choose to do so. Sign up to participate and you'll be able to win a few prizes (none of which are shabby, I must say!) Learn more by visiting this post at A Faithful Journey.


*Update: After thinking it over, I believe I will re-read Sense and Sensibility and watch the movie (Emma Thompson). Also, I'm kinda curious to re-read Emma. So, those will be my plans.

That, my friends, is about all I'm going to say as to my purposes and plans for the next year. I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you are planning on reading in 2011 and then, of course, I'm looking forward to diving on in!

Read Aloud Thursday - Wrapping up 2010

To wrap up their 2010 read aloud year, Amy at Hope is in the Word is listing some of their favorite chapter books that they conquered in the House of Hope. It's a great post and I heartily recommend it. Amy does a great job reading chapter books aloud with her children and it was she who inspired me to try reading some of the same with Bookworm1.

Being three this year (and then turning four), I can't say that Bookworm1 is a great fan of chapter books. It's definitely a stretch for him but we've added incentives for completing a chapter book just to get the ball rolling. (Incentives are sometimes the only motivator, as was the case with The Mouse and the Motorcycle.) Only one book required zero motivation and I'm betting you can guess which one that is based on how many times I've raved about it this year!

At any rate, here are the chapter books that Bookworm1 and I read aloud together this year (all linked to my reviews):

1. Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall
2. The Mouse and the Motorcycle
3. Penny and Peter
4. Tumtum & Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Tales

We also started reading The Twenty-One Balloons after Amy mentioned it. I thought Bookworm1 might like it with mentions of volcanoes and sharks but I think it's a bit above his head just yet so I'll finish it myself. I'm on the prowl for another Tumtum & Nutmeg thriller but I think I'm going to have to pass the hat to daddy for the next read aloud - Freddy Goes to Florida.

In the meantime, we finished Tumtum & Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Tales about mid-December. This one took us awhile longer to complete. Granted, he was still excited about reading it, but his attention span waned in the middle of the third and final story and so we drug our feet along to the very end.

The day Tumtum & Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Tales arrived in our mailbox, Daddy said he'd take the boys out to run some errands. But no. Bookworm1 voted to stay home and read TUMTUM & NUTMEG! (Be still my reading mother's heart!) We devoured the first story in this edition, A Christmas Adventure, that very same evening. We read it straight through - all ten chapters. I was thinking I'd have the book read and ready to review by the end of the week but we slowed down our tempo considerably after that.

I won't say much about this book. Suffice it to say I think it's just about as wonderful as the first. A Christmas Adventure definitely takes the cake, involving Baron Toymouse who stingily and greedily occupies the nursery of an abandoned home, keeping all the toys therein for himself. Tumtum and Nutmeg purpose a friendly visit but the Baron isn't interested in having company. It's a very cute Christmas story and we both enjoyed it.

Cute mice. Again - how can you go wrong? We still heartily and highly recommend Tumtum & Nutmeg as literary friends. We're glad that they are ours.

Of course, these chapter books are not the only books we've read aloud. We've read a plethora of picture books, a great many of which I discussed over at Reading My Library. We're always reading which is something I'm very grateful for.

Come next year most of my Read Aloud Thursday posts will be over at Reading My Library, the exception being if we make it through a chapter book. In that case, I'll discuss it here.



Thanks, Amy, for encouraging us to delve into stories with our children. I love your motivation and your heart for reading! Mostly - I love your heart for your family and how that manifests itself at Hope is in the Word. Thanks for hosting this regular weekly reading meme/challenge. I look forward to participating consistently again in 2011!

Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives, by Charles Swindoll

Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives is the next-to-last book in Charles Swindoll's Great Lives series which I have been reading this year. My goal was to read one title a month (taking off the summer months) and complete the series by the end of this year. I've almost accomplished that (being in the middle of reading Jesus: The Greatest Life of All at the present moment.) I have, however, decided not to "review" or share my thoughts on Jesus because exactly how would I do that?

"What I learned from Jesus" just doesn't seem to be a topic one could narrow down sufficiently to fit into a piddly book review so I'm not even going to try. I will therefore conclude my discussions of this series with Forgotten Lives although I don't really think that they are quite so forgotten as much as perhaps they are just not talked about a great deal.

In Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives, Swindoll discusses 13 different people and various lessons that we can learn from each of them. These persons include: Cain, Abraham, Esau, Achan, Samuel, Saul, Abigail, Absalom, Rehoboam, Jabez, Naaman, Gehazi and Uzziah. (By the way, anyone who has any complaint about what we're naming our children or what you are naming yours should hold their tongue. I could have gone with Uzziah!)

As usual, when I read these Great Lives books I walk away with particular impressions. Here is what I have learned so far:

1. I am created for a purpose (David);
2. God will work that purpose in His time frame (Esther);
3. God will work in ways that may be painful, but He will teach me to live in the pain, through the pain and beyond it and can work in me a tender heart as a result of it (Joseph);
4. God honors faithful obedience (Moses);
5. God moves us into periods of quiet solitude where we can be alone with Him, in order to mature us (Elijah);
6. It is not for me to compare my journey to the journey of others (Paul);
7. I should be careful how I discuss and discern the journey of others (Job);
8. God has great lessons to teach each individual person, and frequently He'll use us to teach others (Forgotten Lives); and
9. I have a lot to learn (Jesus.)

(Names are all linked to my prior reviews/thoughts.)

I think for the purpose of this post I'm going to limit myself to talking about Cain and what Swindoll pulls from his life as a lesson to us all.

Swindoll is discussing the fact that God accepted the offering which Abel, Cain's brother brought to the Almighty, but that He was displeased with Cain's grain offering. Why? For what reason? Why wasn't Cain's gift just as acceptable as Abel's and why the rejection? Swindoll points out the fact that Cain's offering "had neither the form nor the spirit God desired. Abel's was excellent; Cain's was mediocre. This should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks that God will accept anything we choose to bring as long as we're sincere." (page 21)

In a day and age where "anything goes" to the point where Christians are persuaded that sincerity is it's own virtue, Swindoll takes the time to remind his readers that God is holy and God is just. Obedience is required over sincerity - for a human can be sincerely wrong. It is important to know Who God Is and what He requires and desires. Because what He wants is much more important than what I want.

Swindoll says:

""There are many paths to God," some say, "so no particular belief is 'right' or 'wrong,' so long as you sincerely seek Him." And that, according to Scripture, is sincerely wrong! Sincerely place your trust in any means, or any person, other than Jesus Christ who shed His blood for our sins, and God will not receive you . . . sincerely (see John 14:6 and Acts 4:12). If that sounds harsh, let me offer two perspectives for your consideration.

First, the Lord is loving and kind, but He is also just. He is a very discriminating heavenly Father who has been specific in how we are to come to Him, but He could not have made that way any less complicated. He provides the free gift of salvation, paid for by the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, and has left nothing for us to pay. He's done everything that needs to be done, leaving us no requirement but one: receive the gift. That's about as harsh as a billionaire demanding that you allow him to give you all of his money. Grace abounds.

Second, faith demands action. If you really believe God, you will do what He says, when He says it, and how He wants it. Cain came in his own way. Abel came God's way. The manner in which both men approached God revealed the authenticity of their faith." (page 21-22)

What we desire or think should be is ultimately of no consequence. If we say that we believe God, then, again, we must know Him to know what He requires of us. And what is one main thing that is required? To believe.

I really think that summarizes why I read, actually. I get asked a lot, "How do you find the time to read so much?" Honestly, I don't think I can afford to take the time not to read. In reading scripture I learn more of Who God is directly. In reading commentaries and books on the Christian faith, I learn better how to correctly and accurately apply scriptural truths to my life. By learning (it is a process and a learning curve I still grapple with!) to be more discerning with the books I pick up, I find my thoughts tested and examined both by the scriptures and by men and women who strive to serve and love God with their whole hearts, bodies and minds. I benefit from the lessons that the authors I have read have already learned and are eager to pass along to all of us.

How can we not read? How can we not read His word? Why do we so easily dismiss it? Why do we walk away from the hard passages and pretend they don't exist? Why do we try to not learn as much as we can about God so that we can go about in whatever manner we like and think to ourselves that ignorance will pardon us? We are half-hearted in our faith - picking out that which we do not like and building thrones for whatever part we do like (i..e, up with grace, down with consequences of sin). We build pedestals for everything and everyone but God. And when we do that, we will understand Him less and we risk the danger of approaching Him in the same manner that Cain did - with a lack of understanding and a spirit of self-love that will be to our detriment.

I am a sinner. Yes indeed I am! I make mistakes. I forget what God likes and what He expects of me. I make excuses as to why I "can't possibly" meet His expectations. But those are the moments when I most need to say, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief and teach me to walk in Your ways." He will meet me there. Why should I doubt it? I have no reason to. He always has.

Yes, this has been a beneficial series for me to read and I honestly thank God that He led Charles Swindoll to write them. If you haven't had a chance to read any of the books in the Great Lives series, I would urge you to do so. It honestly doesn't matter which title you pick up because there is plenty to learn from any of them. They are definitely not a waste of time. My only prayer is that they'll stick with me, long after the books covers have been closed. It has definitely been worth the time investment!

Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge 2011

'Tis the season for Lucy Maud Montgomery! Every January I like to host the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge in order to start my reading year off right. (At least, as right as I can make my reading year!) I like easing into the year with old friends, all created and penned by LMM. I think reading Montgomery is a cozy thing to do, especially when there is still a bit of the holiday rush being felt and as things are beginning to calm down.

The rules for participating in this reading challenge are quite simple:

1. Pick the Montgomery book (or books!) that you most want to read and then read them during the first few weeks of January. Watching any of the following movies/tv shows also qualify for this particular challenge: Anne of Green Gables, Anne Of Green Gables - The Sequel or the Road to Avonlea series. (Watching Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story does NOT count because it doesn't follow the books a stitch and is Anne-heresy.) Write up a post declaring your intentions to participate and, if you've decided already, what books you purpose to read.

2. Come back on Monday, January 3rd to link up to the Lucy Maud Montgomery Challenge post. (Just say that you are participating so that myself and others know to watch your blogs for your thoughts over the course of January.)

3. Read, read, read. Watch, watch, watch. Come back on Friday, January 28th and link up however many posts you wrote up relating to the Montgomery books or films you chose to read or watch during the month.

4. Optional, but encouraged: VISIT EACH OTHER and get to know the other people participating in the challenge.

That's it! You can decide to do as much or as little as you like. I just hope that you'll take a little bit of time to indulge in some of Montgomery's writings.

Unfortunately, a great many of Montgomery's works are out-of-print but don't fret! It's easy to locate something. Here are a few suggestions:

• Your local library no doubt has the Anne of Green Gables movie on hand. They might possible even have some of the Road to Avonlea series or can get it for you. Ask now and maybe they can get it in for you in time!
• The most popular series by Montgomery (still in print) is the Anne of Green Gables series and the Emily of New Moon series.
• There are a load of short story collections by Montgomery, including, but not limited to: Akin to Anne, Across the Miles, Along the Shore and The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories.
• A few fun and more unique titles include: Kilmeny of the Orchard, Jane of Lantern Hill, A Tangled Web, The Blue Castle and Magic for Marigold.

Here is the button code for the challenge, if you'd like it:

<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2009/12/lm-montgomery-reading-challenge-2010.html"><img alt="L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge" src="http://www.bluecastlephoto.com/misc/lmm-challenge.gif" border="0" /></a>

I hope you'll consider joining in! See you in a week with more information about this!

CBD Narnia Specials

Brief note. I got an e-mail from CBD announcing their Before & After Christmas Sale. (You can click on that link for more information.) I clicked over to browse around and filled up my shopping card with things like this:

Roar!: A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia

Amazon's price: $13.49

CBD's Before & After Christmas sale price: $0.99! (I might have picked up a couple.)





Walking through the Wardrobe: A Devotional Quest into The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

Amazon: Out of print. You can find a used copy beginning at $2.99

CBD's Before & After Christmas sale price: $1.99!




Knowing Aslan

Amazon price: $2.99

CBD Before & After Christmas Sale Price: $0.25




I also picked up a couple of movie Storybooks (for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe & Prince Caspian) for $0.49 and $0.99. One of them I no longer see listed on their website and I just placed my order an hour or so ago!

Anyway, it's worth checking it out.

It's also worth checking out if you are fans of Adventures in Odyssey. Amazon has their Adventures in Odyssey Gold Audio Series for $21.36 and CBD has them on sale for $14.99. I picked up the first set and will store it away for later.



Anyway - some good deals out there for the taking!

Now back to the Christmas vacation....

Christmas Vacation & Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge Alert!

I think it's a good time for a mini break around here - just in time for the Christmas holidays and all the things that we have planned to enjoy it!

I hope that all you have a fantastic, wonderful and happily memorable Christmas holiday.

I'll plan on seeing you on the other side of it, when you should be expecting to hear a great deal more about the next Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge which starts January 3rd. I'll have a bit more information about it immediately following Christmas but if you want to start planning what you want to read or watch (that is Montgomery, of course!) and spread the word, now's a good time!



Here is the button code, if you'd like it:

<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2009/12/lm-montgomery-reading-challenge-2010.html"><img alt="L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge" src="http://www.bluecastlephoto.com/misc/lmm-challenge.gif" border="0" /></a>

In the meantime - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fall Into Reading Challenge Conclusion

It's time again (well, next week anyway!) for another Fall Into Reading adventure hosting by Katrina at Callapidder Days

This coming week is the conclusion of the Fall Into Reading Challenge which is hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. It is therefore time to see how far we got in our own personal fall reading challenges.

If you were around when I started, you'll remember that I said I wanted to really plow through my review copies so that I could start off 2011 free and clear. Especially given the fact that we have a new baby on the way, and considering that there are a great number of titles on my home book shelf that are sitting unread, I wanted to free up my time to read whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. It's not working for me to have so many deadlines looming over my head.

To that end, I attacked my review shelf and took care of a great number of titles, all of which I'm listing below (all are linked to my reviews):

• The Faithful Parent
• When Molly Was a Harvey Girl
• The 12 Days of Christmas Cookbook
• The Agency: The Body at the Tower
• Sir Quinlan
• Arthur of Albion
• Resources for Biblical Living
• Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women
• Loving God With All Your Mind (DVD series)
• God's Mighty Acts devotionals
• Everything Christmas
• Cookie Swap
• Pioneer Girl
• Loving the Church
• In the Company of Others
• Aesop's Mirror

I opted not to read the following titles, which I had mentioned to you at the beginning of the challenge:

• Fame: What the Classics Tell Us About Our Cult of Celebrity (I started it but just couldn't understand where the author was ultimately going with it.)
• Jane Austen and Marriage (Which honestly still has some appeal, but I couldn't bring myself to it.)

Despite my reading "work" - I still have a few titles left dangling as I go into the next year. But I have declined what feels like a billion offers for more as I really would like more freedom in my reading life. I do LOVE reading books and reviewing new titles. I'm certainly not saying I'm going to stop cold turkey from doing that. I'll still take review titles but I am being much more selective than I have ever been before. I think there are some really awesome titles and subjects out there that I am curious to read. But there are also a lot of older titles that I'd like to be able to give more attention to.

Like, for example, I intend to kick off 2011 with my FAVORITE older titles, all written by Lucy Maud Montgomery for the 2011 Lucy Maud Montgomery Challenge. I'll be hosting that challenge in January and I'm glad to have a fairly clean slate so that I can spend some quality time with one of my favorite authors without a lot of "reviewers guilt" hanging over my head.




I feel pretty good about what I was able to get to this fall and I'm happy with my reading "load" a I go into 2011. Participating in the Fall Into Reading Challenge really motivated me to set myself up well for the start of a new reading year and for that I am most grateful to Katrina! Thank you for the motivation!

Great Joy, by Kate DiCamillo

Speaking of JOY today - Candlewick Press sent me a copy of Great Joy to read this Christmas season and it was one of the books my kids and I opened this past week to read.

Of course, DiCamillo is no stranger to the children's book scene but I'm rather slowly becoming familiar with her work. In this particular story, we meet a little girl who notices an organ grinder and his monkey across the street from her apartment building. The girl is very concerned about this pair, hoping that they have a safe and warm place to be at night during the Christmas season. Her mother rather dismisses the young girl's concern but the daughter is persistent. She stays up until midnight one night and then sneaks to the window only to discover that the organ grinder and his monkey are still on the curb. They have no place to go.

Moved with compassion, the girl invites the organ grinder (and his pet!) to the Christmas pageant at her church. Whether or not they attend will have to be something you discover if you pick up the book.

It is a sweet little story which illustrates a point that is rather true, I think. In the hustle and bustle of this busy season, sometimes it's the little children who notice things that are even just a little out of place. We adults are busy scurrying around trying to accomplish things on our To Do List and we miss the needs of others. Normally, I wouldn't care for a story with a weak parental figure but the mother isn't represented cruelly. She's just preoccupied. It should also be noted that the story is set in World War II (and a picture of the girl's soldier father is on the desk), and the mother is illustrated in such a way as to make her look remarkably like Maureen O'Hara. (I confess I had a hard time not thinking about Miracle on 34th Street while reading this book to my kids!)

As for my children, my four year old found Great Joy the most appealing and asked for three re-reads in a row! So I think it's safe to say he liked it.

I did too. Again, there is a slightly weak parental figure but I think the story is told in a tasteful enough way to express the young girl's longing to see the man and his beloved pet taken care of during the holiday season. In the end, I have no objections. This is a quick picture book and one that I'm sure we'll enjoy a time or two in the coming years.

Thanks, Candlewick, for sending a copy my way!

JOY Swap

I'm not sure what the time frame is, exactly, on the Sisters' Shoebox Swap events that are hosted by Carrie (the other one!) and Monica, but I do know that they are an awful lot of fun and I've really enjoyed participating in them. When I saw that they were doing a Christmas swap with "JOY" being the theme, I knew I wanted to join in!

This year I said I'd be happy to swap with a Canadian and if you need more than one guess as to why, well then, you don't know me very well now, do you? (Come back in January!) I was ecstatic to be matched with Ellie from Honeysuckle Hollow who lives in Nova Scotia. Furthermore, when I was given her blog link as an introduction I hopped over and she had just posted about her love for Road to Avonlea. A kindred spirit? Ya think? (Plus, she admitted to liking moose which I do also so it was all good.)

I felt bad for her because I was already fascinated with her just because of her location and expressed love of Avonlea. Throw in the fact that she's crafty (and I'm not) and I've tried to tone myself down a bit. She's very charming though. And crafty. If you want to see what wonders Ellie has done to refurbishing pieces of furniture just check out this post. It's incredible!

Anyway, we exchanged likes and dislikes and sent our packages off to one another and this is what I received . . .

You'll recognize this Joy Snowman perhaps from my picture earlier this week which I posted along with a Christmas tour of my home. He has a prominent place by my front door. I love him!


Ellie made me a set of homemade greeting cards and envelopes which I think are fantastic! I love how unique and creative they are.


And here is the whole shoebox full of things like chocolate and stuffed reindeer that flew out of the box and into the hands of two young boys I know. (They were also big fans of the Joy jingle bell!
Ellie, thank you so much for the thought you put into this box and for your time and energies to create lovely homemade things for my home! I've hung the bell and the joy ornaments on the tree. The snowman is by my front door. The chocolate is gone. The cards are awaiting use and if anyone is wondering about the little black bag of rocks....? Sea glass from the shores of Nova Scotia. It's now sitting by my collection of all things Anne and I thought that was incredibly creative and fun, given the fact that she figured out pretty quickly that I'm in love with the Eastern shores of Canada.

Thank you, thank you!

Other Sister Shoebox Swappers are linking up over on *Carrie's* blog today if you'd like to see some more swaps.

Thank you, Carrie and Monica for hosting. Thank you, Ellie for getting to know me and allowing me to get to know you. I hope you have a wonderfully happy Christmas celebration and I look forward to seeing all the ways that God will choose to grow and bless you this coming year!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Gifts for Book Lovers

You and I know that it can be dangerously difficult to purchase a book for a book-lovin' friend or relation because you are taking on the risk that they already have the book in question. It's certainly a nice thought, and one most appreciated. However, if the person already owns it, well, they already own it! Here is a short list of things that *I* think are fabulous to give to book lovers in place of any specific title. These are all things that I think are practical (because I like practical gifts) and I'm ignoring any cutesy gift ideas. (I don't mind the cutesy but cute has to be well-done for me to adequately appreciate it!)

#1 - A gift card to a local bookstore. Yeah, you may think it's otherwise boring or impersonal but a gift card to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or Borders is a book lovers dream! The freedom to go in and pick any title of their choosing!? Be still our book beating hearts!

#2 - i-clips from Peter Pauper Press. These packages of i-clips are available for $3.95 on Amazon and they had a nice variety of designs to choose from such as the Floral Silhouette design, Calligraphy, Owls, Butterflies and Skulls i-Clip Magnetic Page Markers (Set of 8 Magnetic Bookmarks). Couple one of these with a gift certificate to Starbucks (or your local coffee shop) and you've just made a book lover's day! These i-clips sure beat out the scraps of paper most of us readers usually tear up and use to bookmark remarkable passages in the books we're reading. I use my i-clips ALL THE TIME and heartily recommend them!




The great thing about i-clips is that you can never have too many! (Esp. if you read multiple books at a time!)

#3 - A gift certificate to Starbucks (so that we can stimulate the brain in more ways than one!) Some book lovers really love the environment of the coffee shop and the treat of some time away from home to just sit down and relax with their beverage of choice. It doesn't have to be Starbucks. What is your book lover's favorite get-away spot? Again, a $5 gift card and a package of i-clips is one of the best gifts I can personal imagine because it equals time away and alone and I can easily keep track of passages in a neat and orderly manner! Love it!



#4 - One of my best book gifts that I ever received was an Insta-Tote Bag (Patty Reed Designs.) May I interject a comment on their website? They need some work!)You can find these bags on Amazon as well. The durability of these bags is amazing. I use mine for library visits, specifically, and have managed to cram in and lug out up to 50 books at a time. These bags are STRONG! Plus, they double for grocery bags and anything else you can think of! I believe I've had my bag for 2 years and I liked it so much I bought another! They are reasonable priced and come in a variety of different designs.



#5 - Journals. Most readers I know of also love to write. The power of words can be overwhelming at times and I appreciate having journals to write down interesting quotes, books I want to read, words I hear (i.e. sermons and speeches) and, of course, my own personal thoughts. Again, Peter Pauper Press has a fabulous selection of quality journals (and recently sent me a couple to check out.) I was sent their Almond Blossom Journal which is over-sized version. Admittedly my hand writing has become larger and more sloppy with age and children and lack of time so I rather appreciate the extra large pages for writing in. This journal, like their others, is quality bound and this particular style includes a bound-in cloth bookmark to help you keep your place.

In addition to the over-sized journal, I was also sent the Twilight Garden Journal which is more the size of a traditional diary and has a bound elastic band attached to keep it closed when not in use.

I've always loved the gift of a quality journal and I can't say that I have any complaints with the selection and styles that Peter Pauper Press has to offer (so, thanks PPP for sending some for me to check out!)

Are there items that you would add to this list? What would you all, as my fellow bibliophiles recommend to your friends and relations as good gift items to those of us who enjoy keeping our noses tucked away in books?